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enBrazil-Colombia friendly proposed to raise money for ChapecoenseBrazil and Colombia could play at the Maracana on January 22 to help raise money for Chapecoense after last week's tragic air disaster.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/brazil-colombia-friendly-proposed-raise-money-chapecoense
Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) general secretary Walter Feldman has revealed discussions are underway for Brazil to play Colombia in January to help the victims of the tragic air disaster involving Chapecoense.
Chapecoense players, backroom staff and officials were among the 71 people to lose their lives when a flight carrying them to the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional went down in Cerro Gordo, La Union in Colombia last week.
The footballing world has banded around Chapecoense and the country's governing body, CBF, are now ready stage a match at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on January 22, with all proceeds going to the families of the players and staff killed.
"We have already contacted both FIFA and CONMEBOL," Feldman told SporTV on Monday.
"Maybe we can play that game on the 22nd, a week before the start of the season.
"We discussed for hours what that game would look like. And it was concluded that the best form would be a game of the Brazilian national team.
"We came to discuss Chapecoense's own hypothesis, with friends playing for the team, but we chose Colombia, a country that was on our side at the moment."
news_articleTue, 06 Dec 2016 03:10:40 +0000Anonymous659848 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWho should win the Puskas Award 2016? FourFourTwo decidesLionel Messi, Neymar and Wales Euro 2016 hero Hal Robson-Kanu are among the nominees for FIFAs goal of the year gong. Greg Lea turns judge to weigh up the 10 contenders effortsGreg Leahttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/who-should-win-puskas-award-2016-fourfourtwo-decides
10. Lionel Messi vs USA (June 21, 2016)
The Argentine magician will have felt hard done by when he failed to scoop the 2015 award for his stunning effort against Athletic Bilbao, but he’s unlikely to make amends by topping this year’s vote.
Nevertheless, this was a brilliantly struck free-kick in his country’s Copa America Centenario semi-final against hosts USA; Messi’s shot from 25 yards out arrowed unerringly past goalkeeper Brad Guzan and into the top corner to double Argentina’s lead, with team-mate Gonzalo Higuain going on to bag a brace and seal a thumping 4-0 victory.
9. Hlompho Kekana vs Cameroon (Mar 26, 2016)
Winning possession with your first touch and going for goal with your second may hint at some sort of egomanical glory-hunt, but Kekana pulled off this feat from inside his own half against Cameroon in March.
The South Africa international pinches the ball after a sloppy piece of control from Tony Tchani and, around 60 yards from goal, immediately drives a fierce shot into the back of the net with minimal backlift. The keeper was well off his line and there have been plenty of strikes of this ilk, but this was a particularly perfect hit from the Mamelodi Sundowns man.
8. Neymar vs Villarreal (Nov 8, 2015)
Today’s Barcelona might not dominate like Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka edition, but this team certainly know how to inflict damage on the counter-attack – 10seconds was all it took for Luis Enrique’s men to work the ball from their own penalty area and score a goal at the other end in this meeting with Villarreal last year.
Neymar heads a clearance onto Luis Suarez and immediately sprints towards the box, where he receives the return pass after an unfortunate slip from Victor Ruiz. There’s still plenty of work to do at this stage, but the Brazilian makes it all look easy as he flicks the ball over his head, turns full circle and lashes a volley past Alphonse Areola.
Next page: Acrobatics and muggings7. Simon Skrabb vs Gefle (Oct 31, 2015)
Some tidy build-up play from Atvidabergs culminates in Kristian Bergstrom receiving the ball on the left flank, the two-time Sweden international inviting his team-mates to get into the box by immediately cutting infield.
Skrabb is one of three players to oblige, but the delivery appears to be too far behind him and looks set to be headed away by a Gefle defender. Instead, the attacking midfielder spectacularly improvises with a scorpion kick that Rene Higuita would have been proud of.
6. Marlone vs Cobresal (Apr 24, 2016)
New Brazil boss Tite has helped restore the Seleção’s attacking verve since replacing Dunga in June, a development which will have come as no surprise to followers of his Corinthians outfit.
This goal against Cobresal begins from the back as the Sao Paulo-based side move the ball confidently through the pitch, before a brilliant one-two between Luciano and Edilson releases the latter down the right. His cross finds an unmarked Marlone, who chests the ball down on the edge of the box and applies an acrobatic finish before two desperate defenders are able to intervene.
5. Daniuska Rodriguez vs Colombia (Mar 14, 2016)
Don’t be fooled by the patchy pitch and somewhat grainy images: this goal really was scored in 2016.
The Colombian defence fail to deal with a looping cross from the left, which allows female star Rodriguez to collect possession just inside the penalty area on the other side of the pitch. With her back initially to goal, the Venezuelan midfielder manoeuvres past her marker with a crisp Cruyff turn, before demonstrating some more fabulous footwork as she takes the scenic route to get around another opponent. The 17-year-old then sends the first defender sprawling with another piece of tremendous skill, leaving the path clear for her to fire a finish into the roof of the net. See ya!
Next page: Time for (unlikely) heroes4. Mario Gaspar vs England (Nov 13, 2015)
Mario may have been the Spanish star England were fearing least ahead of this friendly last November, but the Villarreal defender was the was responsible for the highlight of the match.
After pinching possession from Raheem Sterling, the right-back marauds forward down the flank and picks out Paco Alcacer, who lays the ball back to Cesc Fabregas. Mario then darts infield but has to quickly adjust his body as the Chelsea midfielder’s lofted pass drifts over his right shoulder. He still has his back to goal when the ball approaches, but a superb swivel sees him connect with a mid-air scissor kick to which Joe Hart has no answer.
3. Hal Robson-Kanu vs Belgium (July 1, 2016)
Wales were among the best stories of an otherwise-mediocre Euro 2016, and this was their crowning moment.
With the scores level at 1-1 after 54 minutes of their quarter-final clash with Belgium, Gareth Bale releases Aaron Ramsey down the right, with the Arsenal midfielder doing brilliantly to bring the ball down and feed then-free agent Robson-Kanu inside the penalty area. His first touch is decent enough but it's the second that makes this goal, the 27-year-old fooling three opposition defenders with a Cruyff turn that the late Johan would have been proud of, before placing the ball past Thibaut Courtois to send the whole of Wales wild.
Context is key for this contender: Robson-Kanu's piece of skill was magnificent in itself but the fact that it came at such a pivotal time in a crunch knockout tie makes it all the more special.
2. Saul Niguez vs Bayern Munich (Apr 27, 2016)
Bayern Munich appear to be in a solid defensive shape when Saul picks up possession just inside the centre circle, which highlights what a sensational goal this was.
The Atletico Madrid man cleverly works the ball past Thiago Alcantara while assessing his passing options, before deciding that he might as well go it alone. Two exceptional touches take both Juan Bernat and Xabi Alonso out of the game in the same move, which leaves David Alaba as Bayern’s only possible saviour. He’s also unable to halt Saul, though, as the Spaniard opens up his body and uses his opponent as a guide to squeeze the ball into the net via the inside of the far post – the only place he could have put it.
This goal proved to be the winner and helped set Atleti on the path to the Champions League final.
Next page: Who's our winner?1. Mohd Faiz Subri vs Pahang (Feb 16, 2016)
Beating a goalkeeper with a fine strike is one thing. Defying physics is quite another. Faiz managed exactly that with this mind-boggling free-kick for Penang FA in February; the bend he's able to generate is astonishing, the ball arcing around one side of the wall before violently changing course and finding the opposite corner of the net.
The poor goalkeeper is utterly bamboozled by the free-kick's unusual trajectory, while Faiz looks like he can't quite believe what he's just pulled off either. It's a goal that still seems impossible after dozens of viewings (trust us), and would be a worthy winner of the 2016 Puskas Award. Bravo.
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featureFri, 25 Nov 2016 11:39:01 +0000Greg Lea655302 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRonaldo a bad influence on James - AsprillaJames Rodriguez's bad attitude on the pitch stems from his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, says Faustino Asprilla.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ronaldo-a-bad-influence-james-asprilla
Colombia icon Faustino Asprilla has criticised James Rodriguez in the wake of Colombia's 3-0 World Cup qualification defeat at the hands of Argentina, stating his Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is a bad influence.
James cut a frustrated figure throughout the game and was seen arguing with team-mates as well as the referee as Colombia were comfortably beaten in San Juan.
Asprilla was not impressed with the 25-year-old's behaviour and has blamed his friendship with Ronaldo for his poor attitude.
"Lately what I am seeing is that James' friendship with Ronaldo is damaging him," Asprilla told ESPN.
"When they do not give Cristiano the ball he gesticulates to everyone. James has the same gestures with Colombia when they do not give him the ball.
"He waves his arms at his team-mates. At the start of the game he scowled at Eder Balanta and made a gesture.
"The first thing James needs to do is help his team-mates improve because he is playing in a team of youngsters who respect him and no one dares say anything to him.
"But in another team they would give him a slap. At least in the Colombia side I played in we would not stand for it. It is all a bit ugly.
"It is normal to argue with the referee and quarrel with rival players, but with your team-mates it is not.
"You can quarrel, but doing it because one of your team-mates did not pass the ball is the ugliest thing you can do as a footballer.
"He has picked up that habit from Ronaldo, who does it all the time."
news_articleThu, 17 Nov 2016 13:16:23 +0000Anonymous651975 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMessi made the difference - PekermanJose Pekerman lamented Colombia conceding first in their World Cup qualifying loss to Argentina.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/messi-made-difference-pekerman
Colombia coach Jose Pekerman felt Lionel Messi was the difference in his team's World Cup qualifying loss to Argentina.
Messi's stunning early free-kick was followed by two assists for the Barcelona maestro in his team's 3-0 victory on Tuesday.
Pekerman lamented conceding the early goal against an Argentina team who came into the clash on the back of a four-game winless run.
"They scored the first goal and that strengthened them," he said.
"We started the game well and thought it was going to have another way. If it happened the other way around, Argentina also would've felt it.
"After the first and second goal, we complicated the game and Messi made the difference."
The result saw Colombia fall to sixth in the CONMEBOL standings, while they failed to score in both games this month.
Pekerman acknowledged the difficulties his team were having in attack.
"It's not been easy for us to find a goal," he said. "[Radamel] Falcao played a good game, always looked like scoring."
news_articleWed, 16 Nov 2016 04:17:59 +0000Anonymous651442 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBauza never questioned playersEdgardo Bauza praised Argentina for what he felt was a deserved win over Colombia in World Cup qualifying.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/bauza-never-questioned-players
Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza insists he never doubted his players as they ended their winless run with a victory over Colombia.
Lionel Messi led from the front with a brilliant free-kick and two assists in the 3-0 win in San Juan on Tuesday.
The victory, in which Lucas Pratto and Angel Di Maria also scored, ended a four-match winless run for Bauza's team.
The coach always felt his team would deliver, saying: "I never felt that the players would have a problem with the game.
"They were always close to me."
Argentina struck twice in the first half and had few problems containing Colombia after the break.
The defensive effort pleased Bauza, whose team had conceded eight goals in four games.
"We did good defensive work and Colombia could not break the lines," he said.
Bauza also defended his players, adding: "I do not understand or agree with criticism of players who have given so much to the team."
news_articleWed, 16 Nov 2016 03:23:03 +0000Anonymous651407 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comArgentina players boycott media after Lavezzi claimsAccusations made against Ezequiel Lavezzi led to Argentina players boycotting media duties after their win over Colombia.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/argentina-players-boycott-media-after-lavezzi-claims
Argentina players boycotted media duties after their win over Colombia following accusations made against attacker Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Lavezzi is taking legal action after a journalist suggested he was left out of the squad because he had been smoking cannabis.
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to their 3-0 World Cup qualifying win with a stunning free-kick and two assists.
Afterwards, the captain announced the players would no longer be speaking to the press.
Argentina confirmed the decision was down to the accusations directed at Lavezzi.
The victory, which ended a four-match winless run, saw Argentina jump into fifth in CONMEBOL qualifying.
news_articleWed, 16 Nov 2016 02:54:46 +0000Anonymous651394 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comArgentina 3 Colombia 0: Messi inspires much-needed winArgentina finally returned to winning ways in World Cup qualifying as Lionel Messi led them past Colombia.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/argentina-3-colombia-0-messi-inspires-much-needed-win
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a much-needed 3-0 win over Colombia as they ended their four-match winless run in World Cup qualifying.
Messi struck with a stunning free-kick in the 10th minute before setting up Lucas Pratto for a first-half header at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario on Tuesday.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was a constant threat for Edgardo Bauza's team, who desperately needed their win following a difficult recent period, and set up Angel Di Maria for a tap in for the sealer late on.
Radamel Falcao had a couple of first-half chances for Colombia, but they were otherwise outplayed.
The result meant Argentina moved above Colombia in CONMEBOL qualifying, a huge boost following losses to Paraguay and Brazil.
Bauza made three changes to his team comprehensively beaten by Brazil, Pablo Zabaleta, Enzo Perez and Gonzalo Higuain making way for Gabriel Mercado, Ever Banega and Pratto.
Colombia made numerous changes to the team that held Chile last time out, including welcoming back Juan Cuadrado and starting Falcao.
It was the hosts who started the better, and Nicolas Otamendi headed a Messi free-kick over the bar in the sixth minute.
Falcao had a tough chance just two minutes later before Messi opened the scoring in sublime fashion.
The Barcelona star gave David Ospina no chance, his 25-yard effort curling away from the goalkeeper and in off the crossbar.
Falcao almost equalised for Colombia in the 19th minute, only to send his powerful header from a James Rodriguez free-kick over the bar.
His team would be punished for the miss, more Messi brilliance seeing Argentina 2-0 up as his chipped pass found Pratto to head into the bottom corner in the 23rd minute.
Di Maria went close with a volley after the break before blasting an effort against the post from an angle following a Messi pass.
Argentina seemed more content to sit back in the second half and the visitors struggled to break them down, while looking vulnerable on the counter-attack.
They would seal the points in the 84th minute, again thanks to Messi.
Messi won the ball in the corner before racing into the area, cutting back for Di Maria to put a finish into the roof of the net and secure victory.
news_articleWed, 16 Nov 2016 01:28:23 +0000Anonymous651364 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWhen Pablo Escobar did football – and changed the game in Colombia foreverPablo Escobar may be one of historys most infamous criminals, but he also had a soft spot for football. Heres the story of how his passion and money changed the face of Colombias gameNick Moorehttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/when-pablo-escobar-did-football-and-changed-game-colombia-forever
The reputation and legacy of Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug trafficker who became the wealthiest criminal in history, is a messy knot to untangle.
As Netflix viewers worldwide gorge on his bloody journey via the superlative Narcos, passing the popcorn as he blows up planes, assassinates ministers and builds his own zoo, the people of Colombia who lived through his very real mayhem remain conflicted.
Escobar was many things: a murderer, briber, bomber and racketeer, according to his mile-long rap sheet. But to some, he remains an unlikely saint. A huge Escobar flag still marks the entrance of the barrio he built on the site of a former rubbish dump in order to house the poor. On the roadsides of his home city, Medellin, salesmen hawking car stickers – Jesus, Hello Kitty, The Simpsons – report that ‘Pablito’ remains their top seller. There’s even an Escobar children’s sticker album.
Football influence
Others cannot hide their disgust. Rodrigo Lara Restrepo, son of assassinated Justice Minister Lara Bonilla, says that selling Escobar imagery is “an example of the triumph of the culture he embodied... profit is more important than anything”. For many, this man destroyed their land. But for all, their country’s recent history is inseparable from El Patron. His influence on the underworld, the government and the police is obvious. Less well-known is how far his tentacles extended into the world of football.
Pablo played, watched and discussed the game at every opportunity – but he also became the shadowy figure behind the incredible rise and fall of the Colombian game between the mid-’80s and USA 94. “Pablo always loved soccer,” says his sister, Luz Maria, in The Two Escobars, the superb ESPN documentary about his life and that of murdered player namesake Andres, whose story is intertwined with Pablo’s. “His first shoes were football boots. And he died in football boots.”
This is what happened in between.
Awash with cash
Familiarity with Pablo’s story hasn’t dimmed its power to astonish. One of seven children born to a farmer and a schoolteacher, he had a far from deprived childhood, but his ruthlessness was evident early. While committing petty crimes with his brother, Roberto, he schemed about how they could make some real money.
Early involvement in a kidnapping – Pablo netted $100,000 from the ransom – showed that he had the stomach to do whatever was necessary. And in the mid-1970s, the brothers realised that smuggling was their best bet.
A simple eureka moment, in which Escobar recognised the growing popularity of cocaine and the relative ease of flying it into Florida, would lead to a fortune eventually estimated at $50bn. At his zenith, Escobar was supplying 80 per cent of America’s coke. His equally simple strategy for getting away with it – “silver or lead” – saw him bribe willing officials and murder those who couldn’t be bought.
But Pablo had a problem: too much cash. With the government and the USA monitoring his activities, tons of notes were buried in the countryside. And while wads were splashed on cars, ranches and other indulgences, many attested to Escobar having a genuine social conscience, determined to use his wealth to help those in need. As he built houses and schools in impoverished communities, he won a reputation as a latter-day Robin Hood. His favourite act of benevolence was creating football pitches in the slums. “He focused on generosity in the community,” says Luz Maria. “In our neighbourhood, Pablo donated floodlights and football supplies.”
'Laundering heaven'
Pablo was always a keen player. Right-footed, he liked to operate on the left wing and cut inside (imagine Craig Bellamy with a dodgy ’tache). He wasn’t an athlete, but he loved to mix with genuine contenders. His pitch projects led to an early friendship with many players who went on to become professionals. “There were tournaments in the slums,” recalls Chonto Herrera, who later turned out 61 times for Colombia. “Whole communities forgot their worries. I was very poor, but on the field we were important, and lived in a perfect world.”
Alexis Garcia, Chicho Serna, Rene Higuita and Pacho Maturana were among the future internationals who developed on Pablo’s pitches, and often watched in admiration as he opened them, making speeches as if he was a benevolent mayor. “Everyone talked about who donated the field, and he was criticised for being a drug lord,” says Leonel Alvarez, who won 101 Cafeteros caps. “But we just felt lucky to be given pitches.”
Football also provided a darker benefit for Pablo. His brother Roberto – AKA The Accountant – wanted to legitimise their loot. A club was perfect. With turnstiles taking cash, they could easily declare far higher earnings than were made, often by a million dollars or more, and immediately ‘clean’ the drug money. A similar trick could be turned with player transfers. The sport was a laundering heaven.
Team-building
It was also a chance for Escobar to play God at his hometown clubs. Just as he was starting his empire in 1973, Medellin’s Atletico Nacional were winning Colombia’s top flight for only the second time in their history. By the ’80s, with millions rolling in, it was decided: Pablo would fund the team further, and turn them into one of the best sides in South America.
He wasn’t brazen – or dumb – enough to appoint himself director or owner, but his involvement became an open secret. “The introduction of drug money into soccer allowed us to bring in great foreign players,” says Maturana, Nacional manager from 1987 to 1990, in The Two Escobars. “It also kept our best players from leaving. Our level of play took off. People saw our situation and said Pablo was involved. But they couldn’t prove it.”
Escobar also invested in Nacional’s city rivals, Deportivo Independiente Medellin (DIM), and was regularly in the stands for games at their shared Estadio Atanasio Girardot. The budget bonanzas were mirrored elsewhere, too, as fellow drug lords saw the value. Pablo’s associate Jose Gacha (‘El Mexicano’) ploughed funds into the Bogota-based Millonarios, while Escobar’s rival Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, head of the Cali cartel, bankrolled America de Cali. ‘Narco-football’ had arrived.
Continental kings
Now the big cheese at the Medellin clubs, Pablo took the concept of fantasy football to a whole new level. He’d regularly stage private matches at his home against an XI picked by El Mexicano. “The games were a friendly rivalry,” says Pablo’s cousin Jaime Gaviria. “Pablo would say: ‘Pick your dream team – we’ll fly them to the ranch and bet.’” Players were generously compensated, and the cartels would often wager a million or more on the outcome. Some players, such as Nacional’s Andres Escobar (no relation), were said to be uncomfortable about having to perform for the traffickers – and with the source of their wages. Most were happy not to think about it too deeply.
After all, on the pitch, Maturana’s Nacional were on the verge of something big: they were looking to become the first Colombian side to lift the Copa Libertadores. In 1989, they were drawn in the same group as Millonarios. El Mexicano’s Bogota outfit topped the group after a 2-0 victory at Nacional, but both sides progressed to the knockouts. Nacional then beat Argentina’s Racing Club and Millonarios overcame Bolivia’s Bolivar, only for the Colombians to be drawn against each other in the quarters. This time Nacional had the upper hand, and scraped through 2-1 on aggregate. A 6-0 thrashing of Uruguay’s Danubio set up a final with Olimpia of Paraguay. After a 2-0 defeat in Asuncion, Pablo took his place in the stands for a tense return leg – but in Bogota, with Nacional’s stadium deemed too small.
With Andres Escobar anchoring the defence and flying goalkeeper Rene Higuita performing heroics, an own goal and a strike from Albeiro Usuriaga levelled the tie on aggregate, taking the game to penalties. “This is a moment for the history books,” gushed the Colombian commentator, a nation hanging on his words.
Andres Escobar slotted home Nacional’s first, and Higuita made athletic stops and converted his own spot-kick to take the shootout into sudden death, but their team-mates wasted chances to seal the title. “I told them: stop short, because their keeper is diving early,” said Maturana. “But no one listened… except Leonel.” Following three missed opportunities for his side, Leonel Alvarez paused, read the dive, and pumped home the crucial penalty.
Nacional win the Libertadores
Growth of the game
It was a moment of euphoria. “Pablo jumped and screamed with every goal,” says Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, AKA Popeye, an Escobar henchman who committed more than 200 murders for the cartel. “I’d never seen him so euphoric. Normally he was a block of ice.”
Nacional’s players were summoned to Escobar’s ranch for a giant party. “They came for their bonuses; Pablo even raffled off a truck,” says Jaime Gaviria. “For Pablo, the players weren’t commodities, they were friends. It went beyond money. He wanted them to be happy.” As national team coach, Maturana started to steer a squad including several Nacional players toward USA 94.
Colombia suddenly had a true source of pride: football, which was thanks in no small part to the drug lords. But there was a sinister side already in evidence. At a November 1989 match between Escobar-backed DIM and Miguel Rodriguez’s hated America de Cali, rumours circulated that referee Alvaro Ortega had been bought off. “The ref blatantly robbed us,” says Popeye. “Pablo told us to find him and kill him.” Ortega was gunned down shortly afterwards.
Footballers in Colombia soon realised the downside of the narco millions. “When I was going back home after the game, I heard the referee was killed,” says Oscar Pareja, a midfielder for DIM. “We were numb. We knew there was a lot going on with the owners; that they were very shady. But when you’re a footballer, you don’t know too much.”
Chaotic Colombia
Away from cup-winning glory, 1989 had been an extraordinarily bloody year for Escobar. His biggest fear had always been extradition to the USA. To get immunity, he’d gained election to the chamber of representatives in 1982, propelled by working-class support. His status, however, had been overruled by the crusading of the Minister of Justice, Lara Bonilla. Escobar had Bonilla assassinated.
A wave of anger followed, and Liberal Party candidate Luis Carlos Galan gained popularity thanks to his anti-cartel platform. But in 1989 Escobar’s men killed Galan, as well as blowing up a jet with more than 100 passengers (mistakenly believing Galan’s successor, Cesar Gaviria, was on board) and truck-bombing the Colombian security service’s HQ. Eventually, Gaviria was elected president, vowing to dismantle the crime syndicate of “a deranged leader”.
While Colombia’s streets descended into Government vs Cartel mayhem, the national team lost just one game in 34 in the years building up to the 1994 World Cup. And in 1991, after extradition was abolished, Pablo handed himself in – on the condition he could build his own prison, La Catedral, complete with a football pitch. Colombia’s international players – celebrities due to their hot streak – were among his visitors, playing games against the prisoner and his ‘guards’, even in the middle of a season. “Coach said practice was cancelled,” recalls Pareja. “What else could he do? He [Escobar] talked about football – he knew everything. He said to me: ‘Why do you yell at the refs so much? We pay them.’”
Guest of honour
In 1991, a go-between approached Diego Maradona, saying only that a very important person in Colombia wanted to pay him “an enormous fee” to play a friendly alongside the likes of Rene Higuita. “I was taken to a prison surrounded by thousands of guards,” claimed Maradona recently. “I said: ‘What the f**k is going on? Am I being arrested?!’ The place was like a luxury hotel. They said: ‘Diego, this is El Patron’. I didn’t read the newspaper or watch television, so I had no idea who he was! We met in an office and he said he loved my game and that he identified with me, because, like him, I’d triumphed through poverty.
“We played the game and everyone enjoyed themselves. Later that evening, we had a party with the best girls I’ve ever seen in my life. And it was in a prison! I couldn’t believe it. The next morning, he paid me and said goodbye.”
Pretty much the entire Colombia squad went to La Catedral, it later emerged, often covered up with towels over their heads on the road in there – but one of them didn’t get away with it. Higuita, the 5ft 9in sweeper-keeper nicknamed El Loco, made the mistake of speaking to reporters en route. A national outcry resulted. How could Colombia’s pride and joy associate with a criminal?
Higuita was imprisoned in 1993, supposedly for acting as an accomplice in a kidnapping, but, according to The Two Escobars, his association with the cartel was the true reason behind his arrest. “All they asked me about was Pablo,” he recalls of his interrogation. “He has always taken care of the poor: he built homes and pitches. But he is also responsible for an awful war. I had an opportunity to thank him personally for handing himself in. I did not think I was breaking the law.” Coach Maturana defended his player, saying: “If Don Corleone invites me to dinner, I show up.” But Higuita would miss the World Cup in the USA as a result.
No World Cup dream
Pablo had bigger problems. Murders were committed inside La Catedral, and under intense pressure, the Government concluded that he needed to be ‘properly’ imprisoned. Escobar went on the run.
Even in the gravest danger, football remained on Pablo’s mind. His only break from waging war was to watch matches. Popeye recalled the pair hiding in a ditch, pursued by government soldiers, while Escobar listened to a World Cup qualifier on a tiny radio. “I could sense troops closing in, and I’m freaking out. Pablo turns to me and says: ‘Popeye!’ I think they’ve caught us, and I cock my M16, but he says: ‘Colombia scored a goal!’ Football was his joy; his escape; his cloud nine.”
But he would not live to see his country play in the USA: in December 1993, Escobar was shot dead by Colombian police on a Medellin rooftop. He was wearing football boots. His passing left a void that was filled by bloody feuding among the cartels. Football, as ever, was affected. During USA 94, Chonto Herrera’s brother was killed in a car crash. Barrabas Gomez, brother of assistant coach Hernan, left the squad after death threats demanded he didn’t play. And then young Nacional defender Andres Escobar, whose own goal against the hosts helped to eliminate the side from the tournament, was gunned down after a dispute with gangsters. “None of it would have happened under Pablo,” claims his cousin, Gaviria. “He had rules.”
Andres Escobar's fateful own goal
Colombia’s golden era of football was over before it had begun. Informed that their lives were in danger, numerous high-profile players decided to opt out of playing for the national side. Criminal involvement was weeded out of the sport, and the cashflow into the domestic game dried up. Colombia dropped from 4th to 34th in the FIFA rankings over the next three years. Deprived of their key financier, it took Nacional 11 years to win another league title, while a Colombian side didn’t lift the Copa Libertadores again until Once Caldas in 2004.
Not completely clean
“One must attribute Colombia’s rise to the influence of drug money,” says Juan Jose Bellini, President of the Colombian FA. “We all allowed it. We all participated.” Bellini himself was later convicted of money laundering. Andres Escobar’s death, a watershed tragedy, was seen as the ultimate result of a violent storm initially unleashed by his namesake.
Whether ‘narco-football’ truly died with Pablo Escobar, though, is questionable. In 2007, Colombian magazine Semana intercepted a telephone call from feared paramilitary leader ‘Jorge 40’ to a director of Valledupar FC, offering players “who have a certain gratitude towards me” to the club on loan from America de Cali. Another trafficker known only as ‘Macaco’ allegedly controls Pereira FC and attempted to buy El Mexicano’s old outfit, Millonarios. Few doubt that drug profits are still lurking; it’s just not quite as brazen as it was under Escobar.
Maturana admits that as long as there are people willing to take blood money, the problem will continue to eat away at Colombia’s soul. “We exchanged winning for our safety,” he despairs. “Our society was built on a defective foundation.”
This feature originally appeared in the January 2016 issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!
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featureMon, 14 Nov 2016 14:57:12 +0000Greg Lea627209 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comFalcao laments rushed ColombiaRadamel Falcao felt a lack of patience hurt Colombia in their draw against Chile in World Cup qualifying.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/falcao-laments-rushed-colombia
Colombia forward Radamel Falcao rued his team's lack of patience during their 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw against Chile.
Jose Pekerman's men were unable to find a breakthrough in Barranquilla on Thursday, forced to settle for a point.
Falcao, who made his first international appearance in 13 months in the draw, said his team were too rushed.
"We should have had more patience to search," he said.
"To find space and attack."
The result sees Colombia sitting third in CONMEBOL qualifying ahead of Tuesday's trip to Argentina.
"They [Chile] in the second half began to feel they were at a disadvantage," Falcao said.
"We tried, but could not make the goal that ultimately gives you three points."
news_articleFri, 11 Nov 2016 05:46:37 +0000Anonymous649620 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comPizzi confirms Bravo hip blowClaudio Bravo hurt his hip during Chile's draw against Colombia, coach Juan Antonio Pizzi confirmed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/pizzi-confirms-bravo-hip-blow
Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi confirmed goalkeeper Claudio Bravo suffered a hip injury in his team's 0-0 draw against Colombia.
Manchester City shot-stopper Bravo came off in the second half of the World Cup qualifier in Barranquilla on Thursday.
In a further worry for Chile, midfielder Arturo Vidal was substituted late on.
Pizzi confirmed the injuries, adding that Vidal had been carrying a knock picked up in the win over Peru last month.
"Claudio was a blow to the hip," he told a news conference.
"Arturo has a problem from the match against Peru, but he forgets it and gives everything."
Pizzi was pleased to come away with a draw, lifting Chile onto 17 points in CONMEBOL qualifying.
"The context in which we got this point is very important," he said.
"I am very satisfied and happy because we foresaw what could happen."
Chile are next in action at home to Uruguay on Tuesday.
news_articleFri, 11 Nov 2016 00:58:09 +0000Anonymous649540 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comColombia 0 Chile 0: Honours even on Falcao returnColombia and Chile battled it out for a share of the spoils in Thursday's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier as Claudio Bravo suffered an injury.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/colombia-0-chile-0-honours-even-falcao-return
Radamel Falcao's return from the international wilderness failed to spark Colombia into life as they were held to a 0-0 draw in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier with Chile.
Falcao had not featured for Colombia in 13 months prior to Thursday's clash in Barranquilla, but his second-half introduction could not inspire the hosts to victory.
Opportunities were at a premium for the Monaco striker as Colombia failed to significantly strengthen their position in the top four of the qualifying group - James Rodriguez and substitute Luis Muriel wasting late half-chances.
Chile captain Claudio Bravo kept his side in the game in the opening 45 minutes with good saves to deny Oscar Murillo and debutant Miguel Borja.
Bravo's day ended in disappointment, though, as he left the field injured just after hour – giving Chile and Manchester City plenty to worry about.
Chile will hope for good news regarding his fitness - and for Arturo Vidal, who also came off with a knock - ahead of their next qualifier with Uruguay on Tuesday, while Colombia meet Argentina in San Juan.
A tight opening saw the visitors enjoy the better of proceedings, while 23-year-old Borja caused problems for the Chile defence with his blistering pace.
With no Alexis Sanchez, Chile looked to Bayern Munich midfielder Vidal for inspiration and he very nearly delivered after 17 minutes with a controlled volley that flew just wide of David Ospina's goal.
A needless foul by Charles Aranguiz on Edwin Cardona with nine minutes of the half to play nearly brought the opening goal, but Oscar Murillo headed straight at Bravo from Rodriguez's delivery.
Eduardo Vargas – starting in place of the absent Sanchez – worked Ospina with a volley from 20 yards just before the break, but it failed to stretch the Arsenal goalkeeper.
Bravo had to be much more alert in stoppage time as Abel Aguilar flicked on another Rodriguez free-kick, only for Borja to see his volley superbly saved by the Chile captain.
It was his last meaningful involvement, however, as a heavy collision with Santiago Arias brought an early end to his match.
As he denied the Colombian full-back with a perfectly executed sliding tackle, Bravo was caught by Arias and, despite trying to carry on, he was soon replaced by Johnny Herrera.
A raft of cynical challenges from both sides ensured the game struggled to build up any momentum, although with time running out things finally began to open up.
Falcao managed to wriggle free after 78 minutes following good work by fellow substitute Muriel only to see his effort well blocked, while Jose Fuenzalida dragged Chile's best opening wide moments later.
Muriel could have twice won it late on for the hosts, but he blazed both efforts over the crossbar to sum up a frustrating game for both sides.
news_articleThu, 10 Nov 2016 22:48:04 +0000Anonymous649519 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comConcern for City as Bravo injured on Chile dutyClaudio Bravo left the field through injury just after the hour mark as Chile met Colombia in Thursday's World Cup qualifier.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/concern-city-bravo-injured-chile-duty
Manchester City face an anxious wait to discover the extent of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo's leg injury picked up during Chile's World Cup qualifier with Colombia.
Bravo took a knock early on in Barranquilla after a challenge with Miguel Borja, but was able to continue and kept his side in the match with two impressive saves.
His second-half involvement saw another heavy tackle when trying to stop the marauding Santiago Arias.
As the Colombian raced into the penalty area, Bravo came out and made a perfectly-timed challenge, but Arias' follow through left the goalkeeper in pain.
Again he continued, but on the hour he needed further treatment and reluctantly left the field to be replaced by Johnny Herrera.
It remains to be seen whether Bravo will be fit for Chile's next qualifier with Uruguay on Tuesday, and City's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on November 19.
news_articleThu, 10 Nov 2016 22:14:08 +0000Anonymous649514 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comJames is an essential player - PekermanJames Rodriguez has struggled for game time under Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, managing just five LaLiga appearances this season.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/james-essential-player-pekerman
He may be out of favour at Real Madrid, but Colombia coach Jose Pekerman insists captain James Rodriguez remains an essential player for the South Americans.
James has struggled for regular game time since Zinedine Zidane took charge of Madrid last season, managing just five LaLiga appearances this term, with only two of them as a starter.
While it has led to doubts over his future in the Spanish capital, the 25-year-old is still a key member of the Colombia team ahead of Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Chile.
"When we talk about James, we're taking about a player who has many virtues," Pekerman said.
"In the final third there's no one who compares to him, and he's got a powerful left-foot shot, he's versatile and flexible.
"He's a fundamental player within the Colombia set up and within the harmony which he enjoys with his team-mates whether he plays on the right, on the left or through the middle."
Colombia are fourth in the CONMEBOL standings after 10 rounds, a point clear of Chile and four points behind leaders Brazil.
news_articleThu, 10 Nov 2016 04:58:38 +0000Anonymous649184 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comSanchez staying with Chile as Pizzi considers optionsArsenal star Alexis Sanchez is set to stay on international duty with Chile despite a muscle injury.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/sanchez-staying-chile-pizzi-considers-options
Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi is hopeful his team can deal with the absence of Alexis Sanchez and is adamant the forward will stay with the national team.
The Arsenal star is battling a muscle injury and will miss Chile's World Cup qualifier against Colombia on Thursday.
Pizzi, whose team sit fifth in the table, said he was considering his options to replace Sanchez – who has three goals in qualifying this campaign.
"He is very important, but we are working to find ways to replace him," he told a news conference on Wednesday.
"Not having Alexis is a reality to face, but we rely on the entire group."
Pizzi said Sanchez had remained in Santiago to recover, rather than making the trip to Barranquilla.
Reports suggested Arsenal wanted Sanchez to return to the club, but Pizzi said the 27-year-old would remain with Chile.
"He is recovering and will continue with La Roja," he said.
Chile's clash against Colombia is followed by a meeting with Uruguay in Santiago on Tuesday.
news_articleThu, 10 Nov 2016 01:30:37 +0000Anonymous649126 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBacca hails Falcao return for ColombiaColombia striker Carlos Bacca hopes he and the recalled Radamel Falcao can provide the goals to fire Colombia towards Russia 2018.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/bacca-hails-falcao-return-colombia
Carlos Bacca has welcomed the competition that Radamel Falcao's return to the Colombia fold will bring.
Bacca has scored six goals in 12 appearances for AC Milan this term, restoring the Serie A giants to the upper reaches of Italy's top flight.
Fellow striker Falcao finds himself back among the goals following forgettable loan excursions to Manchester United and Chelsea over the past two seasons, netting eight in 10 for Monaco – including four over the past week in resounding wins over CSKA Moscow and Nancy.
This form was enough to earn a recall from national-team boss Jose Pekerman and he could win a first cap for 13 months when Chile visit Barranquilla on Thursday.
"It's nice that Rada returns, we know everything about how he has worked to be in the national team again," Bacca told reporters.
"We all know how important Falcao is for Colombia and hopefully he will come to contribute with his goals."
It promises to be a pivotal round of fixtures for Colombia, who occupy the final automatic qualifying spot for Russia 2018 ahead of facing Chile and Argentina – the two teams currently immediately below then by a solitary point.
"The important thing is to do a great job, the teams in this qualifying are very difficult," Bacca added.
"I hope that the national team win; if it is with goals of Carlos Bacca very well, but the most important thing is to win."
news_articleTue, 08 Nov 2016 22:18:39 +0000Anonymous648675 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com